Sars to pay long over due refunds

The SA Revenue Service’s (Sars) interim leadership has assured taxpayers and big business that their troubles with their tax refunds will soon be resolved.

The commitment came after the Nugent Commission of Inquiry into tax administration and governance at Sars, heard the revenue authority, while under suspended commissioner Tom Moyane, withheld taxpayers refunds of more than R50billion despite numerous demands to release the funds.

On Friday, Eric Mkhawane, chief executive at the Tax Ombudsman, confirmed to the commission, headed by retired Judge Robert Nugent, that the office of the Tax Ombudsman Judge Bernard Ngoepe was inundated with complaints of non-payment of tax refunds by Sars since Moyane took over in September 2014.

Last week, Dr Randall Carolissen, Sars group executive, told the commission the credit debt had spiralled to more than R70 billion.

In 2015 the credit debt was R55bn.

Dr Carolissen said Sars’ debt book was R135bn this year from R85bn in 2015 and he attributed it to the dismantling of Sars’ units which were responsible for ensuring big companies were paying tax.